HMS Effingham

His Majesty’s Dockyard Portsmouth launched this Hawkins class heavy cruiser on 8 June 1921 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 25 July 1925. EFFINGHAM was flagship of the Far Eastern Squadron between 1925 and 1932, before being placed as the flagship for the reserves on her return. In 1937 she received an extensive refit during which she landed her 7.5” guns and embarked nine 6”, transforming her into a light cruiser. She emerged from the dockyard with a single upright funnel instead of two raked ones.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War she formed part of the 12th Cruiser Squadron, patrolling the Northern Atlantic, in the Iceland region, and also transported £2 million in gold reserves to Canada. She hunted German surface raiders on her return, and then took part in the Norwegian campaign. She remained in Northern Norwegian waters until her loss. After bombarding German positions in the hills around Narvik until May, she sailed to transport troops and equipment from Ankenes to Bodø.

It was whilst she was on transport duties that she ran aground on rocks near Harstad on 18 May. The rock was shown on the ship's chart, but when the navigator had drawn the ship's route, his pencil mark had obscured the obstacle directly in the ship's path. Fortunately, no one died in the wreck; torpedo and gunfire from an accompanying destroyer finally sank her on 21 May after all her secret papers and equipment had been removed. She rolled onto her side, leaving masts and funnel level with the surface. Scrapping of the majority of the wreck took place after the war, but some parts of it are still in place.

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Known Crew Details :

Name

Start of Service

End of Service

Known Date

Ron Skinner

1937

1938

Timeline Entries :